Arrangement of instrument dials



March 29, 1938. M. s. M-AcKAY ARRANGEMENT OF INSTRUMENT DIALS Filed Aug. 15

, lNVENTOR MALCOLM 8. MAC/MY Flea;

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 29, 193s PATENT OFFICE ARRANGEMENT OF INSTRUMENT DIALS Malcolm S. Mackay, Englewood, N. J.

Application August 15, 1936, Serial No. 96,166

Claims.

In present day airplanes there are so many instruments requiring the pilot's attention that he has difllcuity in keeping them all under proper observation.

, An object of the present invention is to arrange several of the more critical instruments with the annular graduated parts of their dials in concentric relationship, and to provide means for adjusting them circumferentially and with relation to each other so that the indicators may be placed in alignment when indicating desired conditions. With such an arrangement the pilot needs only to glance at that group of dials to see whether or not the pointers are in alignment.

- 16 If they are in alignment, all is well, but if they are out of alignment, he knows that something is wrong and can act accordingly.

Further and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the accompanying drawing which i1- lustrates what is now considered the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in cross-section, showing one arrangement of ,a group of three instruments according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, It represents a tachometer, H a thermometer or temperature gauge, l4 an oil pressure gauge.

I6 is the tachometer chart or dial and II is the pointer driven by hollow shaft 22 to'sweep around the face of dial l6.

-22 is the engine temperature dial and 24 is the pointer driven by hollow shaft 20 (within shaft 35 20) to sweep around dial 22.

' 28 is the oil pressure dial and 20 is the pointer driven by shaft 32'(within shaft 26) to sweep around dial 28. 'Ihe relative position of the instrument i4 and its dial 2! need not be changed and. therefore, the dial 22 may be fixed on the face of an instrument board 2! by attaching the same thereto in any convenient manner. The instrument l4 maybe secured to a convenient support it.

' Instruments II and I2 are provided with gears 24, 26, respectively, by means of which the instruments may be manually rotated about the instrument axis, through the instrumentality ofpinions 22 and 4., respectively, on shafts 42 a and 44 under control of the pilot. Dial II is attached to its instrument I! by bracket 42, and in like manner dial 22 is attached to its instrument V n hm Thus, whenever instrument I.

or I2 is rotated. the dial is also rotated, and since the pointer also rotates with the instrument,

there is no change in the inter-relationship of dial and pointer, but simply analteration of the rotative position of instrument dial and pointer with reference to the corresponding parts of the other instruments.

In operation, the pilot rotates instruments Ill and i2, if necessary, so that all pointers I2, 24, and 26 will be in alignment (as in Fig. 2) while indicating the desired engine speed temperature and oil pressure. Then during flight, it the 10 pointers should remain in alignment, he knows, at a glance, that his engine speed, engine temperature and oil pressure a need no attention. This is true unless all those functions should go wrong simultaneously in the same direction and 15 to the same degree, a circumstance so improbable that it may be dismissed from mind.

In the drawing the 611 pressure is shown as It and the pointer 30 is vertical with pointers I 8 24 in alignment therewith. If any other oil pressure be desired, and the oil pressure pointer be moved accordingly to indicate the new pressure. the other two instruments will also be rotated to bring their pointers It and 24 into alignment with pointer 20 in its new position, so that, as before, if the pointers are in alignment, all is well.

It is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein.

illustrated anddescribed, but may be used in 30 other ways without departure from its defined by the following claims.

I claim: 1. An indicating unit having parts comprising spirit as a plurality of instrument dials arranged with their faces in planes spaced one behind the other, each of said dials being larger than the one in front of it so as to render a portion of its face clearly visible, the visible portions of said faces having calibrations thereon, a pointer for each dial in operative relationship with the face of said dial, an instrument for each pointer responsive to a condition to be indicated which causes its pointer to move with respect to said instrument and its dial,-m,eans op'eratively connecting each 45 of said pointers to its: instrument, and means for supporting said parts in operative relation.

2. An indicating unit having partscomprising a plurality of instrument dials arranged with their faces in planes spaced one behind the other,

each of said dials being larger than the one in front of it seas to render a portion of its face clearly visible, the visible portions of said faces having calibrations thereon, a pointer for each dial in operative relationship with the face of r eeid dial, on monument for each pointer N- eponslve to a, condition to be indicated causes its pointer to move with respect fiao said instrument and its dial, means op'emtively eon neosing each of said pointers to its insemznent, manually operable means for relatively moving enid dials and pointers for sensing said pointers I in move into alignment in order to indicate deeonneeting each of sesld zointers its nstm= moot, means for said pointere whereby one some may be caused to move into alignment in order to indioofie desired conditions, end means for supporting said ents in operative relation,

=91, An indicating unit having oompx'flnlne e of concentric mstrument dials errenged with their Eases in planes spaced one behind fisne other, common sho1ft meens extending through the feces of said dial, e pointer for each dial rotatable about the of said shaft means in operative relationship with the face 01 said dial, manually operable means for rotating at least one of said dials simultaneously with its neeoeietecl noflnter, and means for supporting said parts in operative relation.

5. An indicating unit having parts comprising e, plurality of flight-indicating instruments a pointer for each of said instruments arranged in planes spaced one behind :she other, common eZc-mit means extending through said pointers,

means connecting each of said ilnstmments with its pointer whereby said pointers may be rotated about the axle of said shaft means by the ins'bmment oonneooed thereto, means for memeally adjusting sold instruments and pointers whereby eeid pointere may be adjusted to cause the some to move into alignment in order to indesired oonditione during flight, and menne for ounzmmne eeid parts in operative relation.

MAL-(JOEE SJBJMCKAZ.

DHEQLAUW-JEFZ 2,112,704;.Malcblm S. Macicay, Englewood, N. J. ARRANGEMENT on INSTRUMENT .EDIALS. Patent dated. Ivlarch 29, 1938.

Disclaimer filed November 2,

1938, by the essignee, Bendix Aviation Ooepomiion. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 5.

{Ofioml @azeate November 29 1938.] 

